Jen Scott Curwood, a senior lecturer in English education and media studies at the University of Sydney, has observed a shift in recent years in the way videos games are viewed by many teachers.

"When I started teaching high school 15 years ago in the US, the perception among educators and parents was that video games were for entertainment, they encouraged passive engagement and they had no place in the school curriculum," she said.

But, thanks to a growing body of research, momentum is building behind video games and their legitimacy as tools for learning.

"Research has found that video games encourage hands-on learning, critical thinking and collaboration," Dr Curwood said. "In addition to that, they motivate children and young adults to explore new content, develop new literacy skills and engage in self-directed learning, and this occurs both in school and out-of-school contexts."

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The use of video games is covered in the new Australian curriculum and is recognised as an effective way of engaging students.

Bianca Hewes, an English teacher at Davidson High School, has introduced a video game elective for Year 9 students and next month the school will hold a video games appreciation day.

"One of the things they do is design a video game that combats social justice issues, so looking at youth homelessness and suicide and depression and things like that," she said.

Nick Patsianas, a senior student from Erina High School, was responsible for having the NSW education department remove its internet restrictions that blocked access to the popular game Minecraft.

He says, unlike most games on the market, Minecraft has no linear narrative and no goal.

"The game is based on placing and removing blocks, which sounds really simple, I know," he said. "Because there's nothing to achieve you can make up the goal, or teachers can make up the goal, and it's really dynamic."

Nick has built an online community of enthusiastic teachers from across the state and runs online workshops to help them integrate the game into their teaching.

Minecraft has been welcomed into the classroom at a number of NSW public schools such as Coffs Harbour, South Grafton and Crossmaglen.

A spokesman for the NSW Education Department said video games were "amongst a range of digital resources that teachers may choose to use to support classroom learning".

Technology company Instructure has launched two online courses that use Minecraft to assist teachers in implementing game-based learning in the classroom.

The first four-week course is under way and the company says at least 25 Australian teachers have enrolled.

Dr Jason Fox, a gamification expert working with PlayStation, says there are "very harmonious synergies between game design and good learning".

"The key thing about all games – whether it's sports games, board games or video games – is they're all based around meaningful challenges, which is probably the key thing that makes games work, and providing people with a sense of progress," he said.

Danielle Veldre from Leichhardt, who says her two young children are often required to play games as part of their homework, has come to accept there could be some benefits.

"I was very reluctant initially to get the kids involved in games, and I held off for quite a long time, but you can't hold back the tide because it's the way society is going," she said. "It's part of a balanced diet of activities."